- ECO code
- C67
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6
- Family
- Ruy Lopez
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 880
- Average game length
- 46 moves
- Years covered
- 1891–2026
Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C67, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family and is known as the Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 880 games on this line — the 121st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1891 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 317 games. An average game here lasts 46 moves.
White wins 28% of those games, 57% end in a draw, and Black wins 15%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 13 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 22 points.
From this position the most popular move is 6.Bxc6, played in 759 games, followed by 6.dxe5 (73) and 6.Ba4 (36). After 6.Bxc6 White scores 29% and Black 14%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Vachier Lagrave,M (140 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (86).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation, Berlin Wall Defense.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 28% (250)
- Draws 57% (497)
- Black 15% (133)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.Bxc6 | 759 | 29/57/14 | — |
| 6.dxe5 | 73 | 15/58/27 | — |
| 6.Ba4 | 36 | 36/45/19 | — |
| 6.Bg5 | 10 | 50/40/10 | — |
| 6.a4 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 6.Re1 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Berlin Wall Defense · 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 · 740 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 19,295 games
- Ruy Lopez · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 · 12,516 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 · 3,599 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O · 1,850 games
- Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Rio Gambit Accepted · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 · 1,680 games
Played most often by
As White
- Vachier Lagrave,M 140
- Shirov,A 66
- Grischuk,A 48
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 86
- Aronian,L 56
- Karjakin,Sergey 53
Games per decade
- 1890s 16
- 1900s 11
- 1910s 1
- 1950s 5
- 1960s 5
- 1970s 3
- 1980s 7
- 1990s 20
- 2000s 196
- 2010s 317
- 2020s 299
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Niemann,Hans Moke | 1-0 | 2026 | Niemann-Nepomniachtchi m |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Firouzja,Alireza | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super CRO Arm TB |
| Sheehan,Ethan | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz RR |
| Movahed,Sina | So,W | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 7th Apr 2026 |
| Niemann,Hans Moke | So,W | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Tata Steel India Blitz |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C67, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6. It belongs to the Ruy Lopez family.
Is the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation good for White or for Black?
In 880 master games on this line White wins 28%, 57% are drawn and Black wins 15%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation?
6.Bxc6 — played in 759 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, l'Hermet Variation?
On the White side Vachier Lagrave,M (140), Shirov,A (66), Grischuk,A (48); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (86), Aronian,L (56), Karjakin,Sergey (53).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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